How to Start a Podcast: The Complete Beginner’s Guide (2026)

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How to Start a Podcast: The Complete Beginner’s Guide (2026)

Starting a podcast in 2026 requires a USB microphone (£30–£60), free recording software, and a quiet room. You can record, edit, and publish your first episode today — for free — and have it live on Spotify and Apple Podcasts within 48 hours. This guide covers everything, including how to use your podcast to generate real business income.

This is the most practical podcast startup guide Alan Spicer has written — covering format selection, minimum viable equipment, recording and editing for beginners, distribution setup, and the business case for podcasting as a lead generation tool. Every section assumes zero prior experience.

📊 Podcasting in 2025/26 — Why Now Is the Right Time

  • 504 million people worldwide listen to podcasts — up from 383 million in 2021 (Demand Sage)
  • 47% of UK internet users listen to podcasts monthly (Ofcom, 2025)
  • 3.2 million podcasts currently exist, but 75% have fewer than 10 episodes — the bar to stand out is low
  • 82% of podcast listeners spend 7+ hours per week listening (Edison Research)
  • £2.6 billion global podcast advertising revenue in 2025 — set to reach £4.3 billion by 2027
  • YouTube is now the #1 podcast consumption platform in the US (Spotify is #2, Apple is #3)

1. Why Start a Podcast? The Business Case in 2026

Podcasting is not just a creative outlet — for self-employed people, consultants, freelancers, and creators, it is one of the most powerful lead generation tools available. The reason is simple: a 30-minute podcast episode builds more trust with a potential client than any single blog post, social media update, or advertisement. The listener spends extended time with your voice, your thinking, and your perspective. That intimacy creates the kind of trust that converts into enquiries.

Podcasting also compounds in the same way YouTube does — every episode you publish is a permanent asset that keeps generating listens, building authority, and driving traffic. Unlike social media posts which disappear in hours, a well-optimised podcast episode from 2023 is still getting new listeners in 2026.

Business Goal How Podcasting Helps Timeline
Build authority in your niche Regular expert commentary positions you as the go-to voice in your space 3–6 months of consistent publishing
Generate consulting or service leads Listeners who invest 30 mins/episode have very high intent when they reach out Starts from episode 1 — no minimum audience required
Build an email list Offer a free resource in every episode in exchange for email opt-in List growth begins from first episode
Attract speaking opportunities Podcast appearances are verifiable, shareable proof of expertise 3–12 months of publishing
Sell digital products Deep listener trust converts to course/ebook/template purchases at high rates Once audience trust is established (6–12 months)
Land sponsorships Sponsors pay per thousand downloads — typically accessible at 1,000+ downloads/episode 6–18 months for most growing podcasts

“A podcast is not a content format. It’s a relationship format. Nobody reads a 30-minute blog post. Plenty of people listen to a 30-minute podcast while they commute, exercise, or cook. You’re in their ears. That’s time and intimacy that no other content format matches.”

— Alan Spicer — YouTube Certified Expert, 15+ years self-employed

2. Choosing Your Podcast Format and Niche

The two decisions that matter most before you record anything: what format, and who it’s for. Both decisions affect everything downstream — equipment, episode structure, recording workflow, and growth strategy.

Podcast Formats — Comparison

Format Description Pros Cons Best For
Solo commentary One host, no guests, sharing expertise or stories Full control, no scheduling, lowest production complexity Requires high energy and confidence to hold attention alone Consultants, coaches, educators, personal brand builders
Interview Host + one or two guests per episode Guest’s network amplifies reach, endless content supply via guest expertise Scheduling complexity, dependent on guest quality Anyone wanting to build a network while building an audience
Co-hosted Two regular hosts, conversational Natural energy, shared workload, loyal audience if chemistry is good Scheduling dependency, risk if co-host leaves Best with a trusted, committed partner
Narrative / storytelling Scripted, produced episodes with sound design High production value, deeply engaging Significantly more production time per episode Journalists, writers, documentary-style content
Q&A / listener questions Host answers submitted questions Community engagement, clear content supply Requires established audience to generate questions Established podcasters looking to deepen engagement

Alan’s recommendation for first-time podcasters: start with solo commentary or interview format. Both are low-production-complexity, don’t require a partner, and can be started immediately. The interview format has the additional benefit of giving guests a reason to share each episode — their own audience amplifies yours for free.

Choosing Your Niche

The same rule applies to podcasts as to every other content format: specificity grows audiences faster than breadth. “A business podcast” is too broad. “A podcast for UK freelancers navigating self-employment and tax” is specific enough to be discovered and remembered. The niche should sit at the intersection of: something you know well, something your target audience actively searches for, and something you can generate 50+ episodes about without running dry.

💡 The 50-Episode Test

Before committing to a podcast niche, write down 50 potential episode titles. If you can’t get to 50, your niche is either too narrow or you don’t know it deeply enough yet. If the 50 come easily, you’ve found a viable niche.

3. Podcast Equipment for Every Budget (2026)

The single most common mistake new podcasters make is over-investing in equipment before validating the concept. A podcast recorded on a mediocre microphone with consistent publishing beats a podcast on a £500 microphone that publishes twice and stops. Start cheap. Upgrade when you’ve proven you’ll stick with it.

Equipment by Budget Tier

Tier Budget Microphone Interface / Connection Headphones Total Cost
Free / Zero cost £0 Smartphone + earbuds inline mic USB/Lightning direct Your earbuds £0
Starter £30–£80 Samson Q2U or Blue Snowball USB direct to laptop Sony MDR-7506 or similar closed-back £50–£100
Mid-range £100–£250 Shure MV7 or Rode NT-USB Mini USB direct or Focusrite Scarlett Solo Sony MDR-7506 or Audio-Technica ATH-M50x £150–£350
Professional £300+ Shure SM7B or Electro-Voice RE20 Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or similar XLR interface Professional studio headphones £500–£900

✅ The Best Starter Microphone in 2026

The Samson Q2U (around £55–£70 on Amazon UK) is the best value entry point for new podcasters. It has both USB and XLR outputs, dynamic capsule for naturally reducing background noise, and sounds significantly better than its price suggests. The Rode PodMic USB (£99) is the next step up if you want broadcast quality from day one.

Acoustic Treatment — The Free Way

Echo and reverb are the single biggest audio quality problems for home podcasters — and they’re free to fix. The solution is recording in a room with soft surfaces that absorb sound reflection:

  • Best free option: record inside a large wardrobe surrounded by clothes. The fabric absorbs echo perfectly.
  • Good free option: sit close to a sofa or bed with soft furnishings behind and beside you.
  • Cheap paid option: acoustic foam panels (£20–£40 on Amazon UK) placed behind and beside the microphone.
  • Rule of thumb: if your voice sounds slightly “dead” or “dry” in your recording space, it’s working. Echo sounds like a bathroom. Dry sounds like a professional studio.

🎙️ Microphone Technique Matters More Than Microphone Quality

Speak directly into the microphone at 15–25cm distance. Never position the mic directly in front of your mouth — angle it slightly to avoid plosives (‘p’ and ‘b’ sounds). Use a pop filter (£8–£15 on Amazon) or make one from a wire hanger and stockings. Good mic technique with a £50 microphone sounds better than bad technique with a £300 microphone.

4. How to Record Your First Podcast Episode

Recording your first episode is the step most aspiring podcasters delay indefinitely while optimising equipment, planning structure, and second-guessing their niche. The fastest path to a good first episode is to record a mediocre first episode, listen back, and improve from there. No podcast host has ever wished they’d waited longer before starting.

Recording Software — Free Options

Software Platform Cost Best For Learning Curve
Audacity Windows + Mac Free Full-featured recording and editing for all experience levels Low — clean interface, good tutorials
GarageBand Mac only Free (pre-installed) Mac users wanting polished results quickly Low — intuitive and well-designed
Adobe Podcast Browser-based Free (with Adobe account) AI-powered noise removal — excellent for noisy environments Very low — minimal controls by design
Riverside.fm Browser-based Free tier available Remote interviews with local recording quality Low — designed for non-technical users
Zencastr Browser-based Free tier available Remote interviews, separate tracks per guest Low

Episode Structure — The Simple Framework

A well-structured episode keeps listeners engaged and makes editing significantly easier. This framework works for solo and interview episodes alike:

  1. Hook (0:00–1:00): State the specific value the listener will get from this episode. “In the next 20 minutes, you’ll learn exactly how to [specific outcome].” Don’t ramble in the intro.
  2. Brief introduction (1:00–2:00): Who you are, why you’re qualified to talk about this. Keep it to 60 seconds maximum.
  3. Main content (2:00–end minus 3 mins): The substance — divided into 3–5 clear points or sections. Each point should have a clear transition (“Next…”, “The second thing is…”).
  4. Summary (final 2 mins): Recap the key points in one sentence each. This reinforces retention.
  5. Call to action (final 60 seconds): One specific action: subscribe, visit a link, reply with feedback, book a call. One CTA per episode — not five.

📝 Scripting vs. Notes

Full scripts produce stilted delivery for most people. Bullet point notes produce natural speech with structure. The middle ground that works best: write a detailed outline with exact wording for your hook and CTA, and bullet points for everything in between. Your natural voice in the middle section is what builds audience connection.

Recording Your First Episode — Practical Checklist

Before Recording During Recording After Recording
Close all browser tabs and notifications Speak at 15–25cm from mic Listen back fully before editing
Put your phone on Do Not Disturb Record a 30-second test, listen back, adjust levels Note timestamps of mistakes to cut
Tell anyone in the house you’re recording Leave 2 seconds of silence at start and end Save the raw file before editing anything
Check input level — peaks around -12dB to -6dB Pause after mistakes — don’t stop, just pause Export edited version as MP3, 128kbps or higher
Record 30 seconds of ‘room tone’ (silence) at start Stay consistent in energy — don’t fade toward the end Listen once more on earbuds before publishing

📺 Be Your Own Boss Series

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5. Podcast Editing — Software and Basic Techniques

Podcast editing does not need to be complex. For most solo episodes, three edits make the biggest difference to perceived quality: removing long silences, cutting obvious stumbles and false starts, and reducing background noise. Everything beyond that is refinement, not necessity.

The Three Essential Edits

  1. Remove long silences. Any pause longer than 2 seconds should be cut to 1 second or less. In Audacity, use Effect → Truncate Silence to do this automatically across the whole file.
  2. Cut mistakes and false starts. Listen through once with a text editor open. Note the timestamp of any stumble, misread, long tangent, or repeated point. Then cut those sections in the timeline.
  3. Noise reduction. In Audacity: select a section of pure background noise → Effect → Noise Reduction → Get Noise Profile → select all → Effect → Noise Reduction → OK. This removes consistent background hum, fan noise, and air conditioning.

Paid Editing Tools Worth Knowing

Tool Cost Key Feature Best For
Descript ~£12/month Edit audio by editing the transcript — delete words to remove audio Anyone who struggles with traditional timeline editing
Adobe Podcast (Enhance Speech) Free with Adobe account AI removes background noise and improves mic quality in one click Cleaning up recordings made in imperfect acoustic environments
Auphonic Free tier / ~£7/month Automatic loudness normalisation to podcast standards (-16 LUFS) Final mastering step before publishing
Hindenburg Journalist ~£20/month Purpose-built for voice recording, auto-levels per track Interview podcasters wanting professional results quickly

📏 Podcast Loudness Standards

Apple Podcasts and Spotify both normalise audio to -16 LUFS for stereo and -19 LUFS for mono. If your episode is significantly quieter or louder than this, it will sound wrong on these platforms. Use Auphonic (free tier covers 2 hours/month) to automatically normalise your audio before publishing. This is the single most impactful ‘professional finishing’ step most new podcasters skip.

6. Podcast Artwork, Naming, and Branding

Podcast directories display your show as a small square thumbnail. Your artwork needs to communicate the podcast’s identity at thumbnail size — typically 150x150px in a search result. This rules out small text, complex imagery, and low-contrast designs.

Artwork Requirements and Best Practices

Requirement Specification Notes
File size 3000x3000px square Minimum 1400x1400px — 3000x3000px future-proofs across all directories
File format JPG or PNG JPG is preferred for most hosting platforms — smaller file size
Text readability Readable at 150px wide Test your design at thumbnail size before publishing — most text becomes unreadable
Colour contrast High contrast between text and background Dark text on light background or light text on dark background — never medium tones on medium tones
Face visibility (if applicable) Clear, well-lit headshot if it’s a personal brand podcast Your face builds connection — obscured or small faces don’t work at thumbnail size
Branding Consistent with your other content channels Same colours, fonts, and visual style as your website and YouTube channel if applicable

Free design tools: Canva has excellent podcast cover templates that are correctly sized and fully customisable at no cost. Adobe Express also offers podcast cover templates on its free tier. Both are significantly faster than starting from scratch in Photoshop.

Naming Your Podcast

A good podcast name is: memorable, clearly indicative of the topic, searchable (contains words people actually type), and differentiated from existing shows. Check your chosen name on Spotify and Apple Podcasts before committing — if there are three shows with similar names, you’ll struggle to rank in directory searches.

7. Podcast Hosting and RSS Feeds Explained

A podcast hosting platform stores your audio files and generates the RSS feed that podcast directories (Spotify, Apple, Amazon) use to syndicate your episodes. You cannot submit directly to these directories without a hosting platform — the RSS feed is the technical link between your content and every place it appears.

Hosting Platform Cost Storage / Episodes Key Feature Best For
Spotify for Podcasters Free Unlimited Direct Spotify integration, basic analytics, video podcast support Absolute beginners wanting zero cost
Buzzsprout Free (2 hrs/month) / £11+/month 90 days on free tier Excellent beginner UX, magic mastering included, strong analytics Beginners wanting more control than Spotify for Podcasters
Transistor From £15/month Unlimited shows and episodes Multiple shows on one account, team features, private podcasting Agencies, businesses, creators with multiple shows
Captivate From £15/month Unlimited Built-in growth tools, listener surveys, membership integrations Growth-focused podcasters wanting marketing features
Podbean Free (5hrs/month) / from £7/month 5hrs on free tier Monetisation marketplace built in, live audio feature Podcasters wanting monetisation tools early
Acast Free (Starter) / £12+/month Unlimited on all tiers Strong sponsorship marketplace, global distribution Podcasters targeting sponsorship income

📌 Which Hosting Platform Should You Start With?

For absolute beginners: Spotify for Podcasters (free, unlimited, good enough). For anyone wanting more control from day one: Buzzsprout’s free tier (2 hours/month is enough for 4–5 short episodes while you validate your concept). For anyone committing immediately to a serious podcast: Captivate or Transistor at £15/month give you the analytics and growth tools that matter.

8. How to Distribute to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Once your hosting account is set up and your first episode is uploaded, distribution is a one-time setup process. Each directory requires a single submission of your RSS feed URL — after that, new episodes appear automatically without any further action.

Distribution Checklist

Directory How to Submit Approval Time Notes
Spotify podcasters.spotify.com → Add a podcast → Enter RSS feed URL Under 5 minutes (usually instant) If using Spotify for Podcasters as host, already done automatically
Apple Podcasts podcastsconnect.apple.com → Add Show → RSS Feed 1–5 business days Requires Apple ID. Most important directory for UK/US audiences
Amazon Music / Audible music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/submit 24–72 hours Growing platform with high income demographic
Google Podcasts Submit via Google Search Console or Podcast Manager Variable Google discontinued standalone app — episodes now appear in Google Search results
YouTube Upload audio as video (with static image or video feed). Or use YouTube’s native podcast feature in YouTube Studio. Immediate YouTube is now #1 podcast platform — do not skip this. Even a static image with your audio uploaded as a video is effective.
Podchaser / Podcast Index Auto-submitted by most hosting platforms Automatic Smaller but useful for discoverability

YouTube as a Podcast Distribution Channel

YouTube is the most important podcast distribution channel most new podcasters ignore. In 2024, YouTube surpassed Spotify as the #1 podcast consumption platform in the US. The reason: YouTube has search. People search YouTube for podcast topics the same way they search Google. No other podcast directory has this organic discovery advantage.

The minimum viable YouTube podcast workflow: record your audio → add a static podcast cover image to create a video file → upload to YouTube with a keyword-optimised title and description → link to your podcast hosting page in the description. This takes 5 extra minutes per episode and puts your content in front of YouTube’s 2.7 billion monthly users.

Full YouTube strategy: How to Grow a YouTube Channel Fast → and The YouTube Business Puzzle Piece Everyone Gets Wrong →

Work With Alan Spicer

Want help turning your podcast into a lead generation channel?

YouTube Certified Expert · 15+ years self-employed · Helping creators and consultants build content that generates clients

Book a Free Discovery Call →

9. Growing Your Podcast Audience

Podcast growth is slow at first and exponential later — but only if you do two things consistently: publish on a predictable schedule, and promote every episode beyond your existing audience. Most podcasts fail not because the content is bad, but because the host expects the directory to drive growth without any additional promotion effort.

Growth Strategy Effort Speed of Results Best For
Guest interviews Medium — requires outreach and scheduling Fast — guest shares with their audience immediately Any podcast format — most reliable early growth driver
Clip repurposing (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) Low–medium — clip creation from existing episode Medium — dependent on clip quality and algorithm Visual-friendly topics where the audio can stand alone
LinkedIn posts (one insight per episode) Low — 15 minutes per episode Medium — strong B2B reach Professional and business-focused podcasts
Email list Low once list exists — building takes time Fast — highest open rates of any channel Podcasters who already have or are building an email list
Podcast guest appearances (other shows) Medium — requires pitching yourself as a guest Fast — direct access to established audiences Any podcast at any stage — highest quality listener acquisition
SEO-optimised episode titles and show notes Low — 20 extra minutes per episode Slow but permanent — builds over months Any podcast — foundational long-term strategy

🎯 The Fastest Way to Grow a New Podcast

Appear as a guest on other podcasts in your niche. Identify 10 shows that serve the same audience as yours but don’t directly compete. Pitch yourself as a guest with a specific topic angle. One guest appearance on a show with 5,000 listeners generates more new subscribers than 6 months of social media posting. Guest podcasting is the highest-ROI growth strategy for new shows.

10. How to Make Money From Your Podcast

Podcasting can generate income through multiple routes, but they are not all equally accessible at the start. The fastest path to revenue from a podcast is almost always using it as a lead generation tool for a service business — not waiting for sponsors or ad revenue, which require a minimum audience size to be meaningful.

Revenue Stream Accessible From Typical Income What You Need
Service business leads Episode 1 — no minimum audience Unlimited — depends on your service rates A clear CTA directing listeners to book a discovery call
Affiliate marketing Episode 1 — no minimum audience £50–£2,000+/month depending on niche and audience size Relevant products with affiliate programmes; honest recommendations
Email list + digital products Episode 1 for list building; products once trust is established Variable — £100–£10,000+/month at scale A lead magnet, email platform, and eventually a product to sell
Listener support (Patreon, Supercast) ~1,000 regular listeners £200–£2,000+/month Loyal niche audience willing to pay for extra content or access
Sponsorships 1,000+ downloads per episode £20–£50 CPM (cost per thousand downloads) Consistent publishing, good download stats, professional presentation
YouTube Partner Programme 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 watch hours on YouTube £2–£8 per 1,000 views Consistent YouTube uploads of video or static-image podcast episodes

For self-employed people and consultants, the most valuable monetisation strategy is to position your podcast as a proof-of-expertise asset that drives bookings. A listener who has heard 10 episodes of your podcast is already sold on your expertise before they ever speak to you. The conversion rate from podcast-listener to consulting client is dramatically higher than from cold traffic.

Affiliate marketing for podcasters: recommend tools in your niche in every episode, include affiliate links in show notes, and build Amazon Associates income around equipment and book recommendations. The full Amazon affiliate strategy: The Amazon Strategy That Pays Every Month →

11. The 8-Step Podcast Launch Blueprint

Everything above, compressed into a clear launch sequence. Work through these in order — most people can go from zero to live podcast in 7–14 days following this exactly.

Step 1

Choose format, niche, and episode 1 topic

Pick solo commentary or interview format. Define your specific audience in one sentence. Write your episode 1 title before anything else — it forces clarity on what the podcast is actually about.

Step 2

Get your minimum viable equipment

A USB microphone (Samson Q2U on Amazon UK is £55–£70) and earphones for monitoring. Find a quiet room with soft furnishings. That is genuinely everything you need to record a professional-sounding episode.

Step 3

Download Audacity (free) and record episode 1

Don’t script the whole thing. Write a detailed outline. Record. It will not be perfect — that is fine. The goal of episode 1 is to learn how your voice sounds, how long it takes, and what you need to improve. Publish it anyway. How to Grow a YouTube Channel Fast → →

Step 4

Edit the three essentials and export as MP3

Remove long silences (Audacity → Effect → Truncate Silence). Cut the most obvious stumbles. Apply noise reduction. Export at 128kbps MP3. Total editing time for a 20-minute solo episode: 30–60 minutes once you’ve done it twice.

Step 5

Create podcast artwork and write show notes

Design a 3000x3000px cover using Canva (free podcast templates available). Write show notes: 150–300 words summarising the episode with timestamps, links to anything mentioned, and your affiliate links. This is what search engines index — treat it like a short blog post.

Step 6

Set up hosting on Spotify for Podcasters or Buzzsprout

Create your account, add your show details, upload your artwork, write your show description (200–400 words, keyword-rich), and upload episode 1. Your RSS feed is automatically generated once the show is created.

Step 7

Submit to Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music

Go to podcastsconnect.apple.com, add your RSS feed URL. Then submit to music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/submit. Both take under 10 minutes to submit — Apple approves in 1–5 days, Amazon within 72 hours. Also upload to YouTube as a video file with your cover art.

Step 8

Publish episode 2 within one week of episode 1

The second episode is more important than the first. It signals to listeners that this is a real, continuing show rather than an experiment. Consistency from the start sets the expectation that you keep. Every episode after that: promote on LinkedIn, clip for Reels/Shorts, mention your CTA every time.

12. Frequently Asked Questions

❓ How much does it cost to start a podcast? +
You can start a podcast for under £50. A basic USB microphone costs £30–£60, free recording software (Audacity or GarageBand) costs nothing, and free distribution through Spotify for Podcasters is zero cost. The only non-optional investment is a decent microphone — audio quality is more important than any other production element.
❓ Do I need expensive equipment to start a podcast? +
No. Many successful podcasts have been launched on a smartphone with earbuds as a microphone. A USB microphone (£30–£80) and a quiet room are sufficient for professional-sounding audio. The most important factor is eliminating echo — recording in a room with soft furnishings (a wardrobe, a sofa corner, a duvet behind you) does this for free.
❓ Can I start a podcast on my phone? +
Yes. Record using your phone’s Voice Memos app (iOS) or a free app like Anchor/Spotify for Podcasters (Android and iOS). Use earbuds with an inline microphone to significantly improve audio quality over the built-in mic. Edit in a free mobile app like Ferrite (iOS) or Adobe Podcast (browser-based). This entire workflow costs nothing.
❓ How long should a podcast episode be? +
There is no universal rule. Interview-format podcasts typically run 30–60 minutes. Solo commentary podcasts work well at 10–20 minutes. True crime and narrative podcasts run 30–90 minutes. The correct length is however long it takes to fully cover the topic without padding. Listener drop-off data consistently shows that tight, well-edited episodes retain more audience than padded ones.
❓ How do I distribute my podcast to Spotify and Apple Podcasts? +
Use a podcast hosting platform as your distribution hub. Free options include Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor) and Buzzsprout (free tier). Paid options with more features include Transistor, Captivate, and Podbean. Once you upload an episode to your host, it generates an RSS feed that you submit to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music — a one-time setup that takes under an hour.
❓ Do I need a co-host to start a podcast? +
No. Solo podcasts are extremely viable — many of the most successful podcasts (Diary of a CEO, Huberman Lab) are primarily solo format. A co-host adds energy and reduces prep burden, but also adds scheduling complexity and dependency risk. Start solo if you have no obvious co-host — it’s simpler, faster, and entirely under your control.
❓ How do I make money from a podcast? +
The most reliable podcast monetisation paths in order of accessibility: 1) Use your podcast as a lead generation tool for a service business — the podcast builds trust, listeners become clients. 2) Affiliate marketing — recommend tools and products with affiliate links in show notes. 3) Sponsorships — typically accessible once you reach 1,000+ downloads per episode. 4) Premium content or membership (Patreon, Supercast). 5) YouTube monetisation if you also publish video versions.
❓ How often should I publish podcast episodes? +
Consistency beats frequency. One well-produced episode per week is better than three rushed ones. The minimum viable frequency to maintain algorithm presence and audience expectation is fortnightly. Weekly is the most common frequency for growing podcasts. Whatever schedule you choose, stick to it — publishing irregularly is the most common cause of podcast abandonment by both hosts and audiences.
❓ What podcast editing software should I use? +
Free: Audacity (Windows/Mac, full-featured), GarageBand (Mac only, excellent quality), Adobe Podcast (browser-based, AI noise reduction). Paid: Descript (transcription-based editing, very beginner-friendly, ~£12/month), Hindenburg (professional, ~£20/month), Adobe Audition (professional, subscription). For most beginners, Audacity or GarageBand is sufficient. Descript is worth paying for if you struggle with traditional audio editing.
❓ Should I also put my podcast on YouTube? +
Yes, if possible. A video version of your podcast (even just a static image, a talking-head shot, or a split-screen with your guest) dramatically extends your reach. YouTube is the second-largest podcast consumption platform and the only one with significant organic search traffic. Even a basic static image with your audio uploaded as a YouTube video counts toward YouTube Watch Time and exposes you to an entirely different audience.

Work With Alan Spicer

Ready to launch your podcast and turn it into a lead generation asset?

YouTube Certified Expert · 15+ years self-employed · Helping creators and consultants build content that generates clients

Book a Free Discovery Call →

Sources: Edison Research Infinite Dial 2025 · Ofcom Audio Survey 2025 · Demand Sage Podcast Statistics 2025 · Spotify Loud & Clear Podcast Report 2025 · Apple Podcasts Submission Requirements 2026 · YouTube Creator Insider — Podcast Features 2025 · Buzzsprout State of Podcasting Report 2025 · Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Podcast Advertising Revenue Study 2025. All statistics reflect publicly available data at time of publication. Equipment prices based on Amazon UK listings at time of writing and may vary.


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